Perforating machine



April 6, 1943.

A. H. DICKINSON PERFORATING MACHINE Fild Dec. 1e, 1941 FIG. 1.

4 Sheets-Sheet l Il Il Il IH NVENToR.

A TTORNE Y.

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

FIGB.

INVENTOH.

TTORNEY.

'A 6, 1943. A. H. DlcKlNsoN PERFORATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 NVENTOR ATTORNEY April 5, 1943 A. H. DlcKlNsoN 2,315,691

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Flaz 'mmm 28 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1943 PERFOB/ATING MACHINE Arthur H. Dickinson, Scarsdale, N. Y., assigner to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 16, 19141, Serial No. 423,146

(Cl. 15d- 113) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for perforating statistical cards; and, one of its objects resides in the provision of an improved machine having means for perforating or marking, statistical sheets, or cards, at diierent index point positions, in individual columns, whereby, the configurations of the perforations, or marks, in the columns, vary with respect to each other.

In order to attain this, and other objects, individual perforating, or punch elements are provided for the Columns of data to be recorded. Each punch element is differently shaped, at its piercing end, so that the perforation made, in rie related column, differs in shape, or conguration, with respect to the other perforaticns lformed in the remaining columns.

Blank statistical cards are fed, in the machine, step by step, past a punching station, whereat, the punch elements are selectively called into action, by suitable control means, to effect the punching of the cards, while the latter are stationary. Such means, in the instant case, comprise settable key means, which, upon depression, are effective to control the energization of the individual control magnets, for the punch elements, at different times, during the punching cycle, thereby causing the punch elements to be effective to perforate the cards, at different index point positions, in the columns.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed i out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is an' elevation view, partially in section, showing the feeding and perforating devices, and the control keyboard unit.

Fig'. 2 is a side elevation View, of the apparatus in Fig. l, showing the driving connections of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the keyboard section.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the keyboard section, showing the key and motor bar release mechanism. y

Fig. 5 is a view of part of a statistical card perforated, in several columns, by the present machine.

Fig. 5a, is an enlarged view showing in detail several perforations in a record card.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of one of the punch elements.

Fig. '7 is a circuit diagram of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a timing diagram.

GeneraZ.-I-Ieretofore, it has been customary to employ differently positioned index points, in different columns, on the record elements, for controlling the operations of statistical systems, and to have all the index points in the different columns formed in precisely the same manner. example, in the Hollerth system, diiferentially positioned perforations are employed to represent the data, the size and conguration of which are all the same, in the different columns on the record elements. In other suggested systems, employing graphical characters on the record elements, in combination with different types of analyzing devices, the congurations of the index marks vary, solely, for the purpose of identifying the values of the data representing marks.

In none of the systems suggested, have index marks of different patterns, or configurations been used, for determining the Value of each representing mark, by virtue oi its differential position, and, in addition thereto, by virtue of its conguration denote its columnar Value, or relationship with respect to the record element. In most of the systems referred to, wherein the different columns of data are sensed concurrently, columnar segregation, or differentiation, is obtained, by the use of individual circuits, one for each column of data to be sensed, which circuits, in turn, control the connected control means representing and controlling the individual, and diierent lorders, of the data manifesting sections of the controlled machine.

It is now suggested, that, in the electrically controlled statistical systems, wherein different columns of data are analyzed, concurrently, a single control channel, between the data analyzing and manifesting sections, be employed, instead of, the multiple channels used at the present time. In addition thereto, it is suggested to provide, in this improved statistical system, a novel combination of elements comprising, in part, data analyzing means for analyzing, concurrently, the differentially positioned index marks, on the records, to initiate, during the analyzing cycle, differentially timed impulses of different frequencies, a different frequency for each column of data sensed, which are impressed upon the common channel connecting the said data analyzing and manifesting sections. In this manner, columnar segregation, or diiferentiation, without the use o a multi-conductor channel connection, can be obtained.

The subject matter of the instant application, relates, solely, to the means for preparing a statistical card suitable for use in the improved sys- For tem just mentioned. The records, per se, and a suitable system for utilizing the said records are shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 286,444, filed July 25, 1939 which now has matured into U. S. Patent No. 2,272,366, dated February 10, 1942.

In order to simplify the description to follow, the present invention is shown embodied in a well known type of perforating machine, known as a high speed reproducing punch, which is shown and described, in detail, in the U. S. Reissue Patent No. 21,133 to C. D. Lake. For this reason, it is believed that the following brief explanation of operation of this type machine, is sufficient for a complete comprehension of the present invention.

Perforating section-Referring now to .'Fig. 1, blank statistical cards I are fed from the hopper P, by the oscillating arm II, reciprocating slide I2, and picker I3 to the feed rollers I4, which rollers convey the said cards, individually, to and past the punching station, comprising a row of individual punches I5 and die member I6. The double set of rollers I1 and I1a then convey the punched card to a suitable discharge hopper I8. The set of rollers, which convey each blank card through the punching section of the machine are intermittently driven, so that the card is advanced in steps, with each row of index point positions pausing, momentarily, in the punching position to receive a perforation, if, at such time, the related control magnet PM is energized.

Energization of each said magnet PM will rock its armature structure I9, drawing a link 2U, toward the right, to effect coupling between an interposer 2l and a plate 22. ried by the member 23 pivoted at 24 and oscillated, by means of a link 25, which link is connected to an arm 26 on shaft 21.

It is deemed sufficient, for the purposes of the present invention, to state, merely, that, as the control circuits, which will be described later, are completed to the control magnets PM, to selectively effect energization, of the said magnets, the latter will effect coupling of the related punches I5 to the oscillating plate 22, and effect punching in the corresponding index point positions of the blank card.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the driving mechanism for the said card picker mechanism, the feed rollers, and the oscillating plate comprises, briefly, a motor 28 which is suitably connected to shaft 29, the latter having affixed thereto, a gear 30 which serves to drive the continuously running elements of the machine. Gear 30 meshes with a large gear 3| to which is attached a small gear 32, both being secured to shaft 33. The small gear meshes with a large punch clutch driving gear 34 which is pivoted on a punch feed drive shaft 35. Attached to gear 34 is a notched disk 36, which disk is rotatably mounted on shaft 35. Adjacent the disk 36, and secured to shaft 35, is an arm 31 carrying a pivoted clutch pawl 38. The pawl 38 is held disengaged from the disk 36, by an armature latch 39, which latch engages an extending arm on the pawl 38. When the punch clutch magnet PCM is energized, the associated armature is attracted, and latch 39 is rocked, to the left, releas ing pawl 38 and connecting shaft 35 to the described driving gears.

Operation of shaft causes the arm II to be oscillated, by mechanism not shown herein (but described in detail in the said reissue patent), thereby causing the slide I2 and picker I3 to reciprocate, and feed individual cards I0 from the hopper P.

The plate 22 is care Gear 30 is provided with a roller 30a, which roller forms a means for driving a Geneva step motion gear 40 with an intermittent movement. The said Geneva gear 40 is arranged to drive a gear 4I through a clutch mechanism (not shown) controlled by the magnet PCM. Gear 4I meshes with two gears 4I a and 4Ib, the latter gears being effective to drive the upper feed rollers of the sets I4 and I1. Gear 4Ib is also effective to drive the upper feed roller of the pair I1a, by means of the gearing, indicated generally 4Ic. A small gear 42, on the upper roller of the pair I4, cooperates with a similar gear 42a on the lower roller of the said pair. The same sort of gear connection is made between gears 43 and 43a on rollers I1, and between gears 44 and 44a on rollers I 1a.

Shaft 29 is provided with an eccentric 29a (designated by the reference character I 12 in the said reissue patent) for operating the shaft 21, which shaft 21, in turn, operates the bail 23 carrying the oscillating plate 22.

Thus, it is understood, upon energization of the control magnet PCM, the described card feeding device is rendered operative to feed an individual statistical card, from the supply hopper, to the sets of feed rollers, which rollers are operated, intermittently, thereby presenting the different index point positions, of each card, step by step, to the punching station. As the different index point positions are presented to the punches I5, the latter are selectively operated, upon energization of the punch magnet PM, by connecting the selected punches to the oscillating plate 22, thereby causing each card to be perforated at different index point positions, in the columns, to represent the selected data.

As mentioned hereinabove, each punch element I5, for its related column, is differently shaped, at its piercing end, so that the perforations, in the individual cards I0, are of different configurations for each column. In Fig. 5, several of the perforations Illa are shown at different index point positions, in three different columns. With reference now to Fig. 6, wherein the piercing end of one of the rectangularly shaped punches I5 is shown, it is seen, that a predetermined number of saw teeth elements I5a are provided, along one edge of the punch element. These saw teeth eleements are effective to form a saw toothed edged perforation, in the card, as indicated in Fig. 5. Since the saw teeth elements, for each punch element I5, vary in number, due to the different spacings between the saw teeth elements I 5a, the configurations of the perforations formed thereby, also vary with respect to each other. This is evident from an inspection of the perforations Illa shown in Figs. 5 and 5a. Thus, when these perforations are sensed, as described in the aforementioned copending application, electrical impulses of varying frequency values are generated, the frequency value, for each column, being different from the others, due to the different configurations of the sensed perforations.

Also, it should be mentioned, that cam operated contacts P I-P5 (see Fig. 7) are provided, and are operated at predetermined times, in the punching cycle (see Fig. 8), by the cam elements 45 secured to shaft 46, which shaft, in turn, is operated by gears 41 and 48, the latter being secured to shaft 35. The said shaft 4E also carries the rotary brushes 49 of a suitable and well known type of impulse emitter means E (see Fig. 7) and a cam element 45a, the purposes of which will be understood as the description progresses.

The usual card lever contacts. MC and? DC (see Fig. 7) are'iprovided, and are arranged to be operated, by suitably disposed card levers associated with the supply hopper and punching station, respectively, sothat, contactsMC are closed, so long as statistical cards are provided in the supply hopper, and contacts DC are closed, so long cards are presented to the punching station.

Keyboard section-Referring now to Figs. l, 3 and 4, the keyboard section of the instant device is shown to comprise av plurality of columns, or orders, of individual keys 50. The number of keys, in each order, can vary asv desired; however, in the instant case, an individual key is provided for each index' point position in the individual columns of the cards. The purpose: of the keyboard section is to provide means for storing the selected data, which itis desired to record.

Provision is made, whereby, upon depression of the individual keys 55 against the action of the associated springs 5|, the keys are held latched, in the depressed positions, by the related latch bars 52 (of whichy one for each order of keys is provided). Each keybar is provided with a V- shaped conducting portion 5S adapted to engage, upon depression of the associated key, the related conta-ct 5l. This connection will be referred to as contacts A, in the circuit diagram.

The recording, or perforating, operations of the the machine are initiated by, the manual operation of a motor bar 58, the depression of which. causes the contacts 54 to be closed. By means of a latch lever 6B, the depressed motor bar is maintained so, due to the engagement of the stem 6 I, of the said bar, with the said latch lever. Upon completion oi the perforating f, or punching) cycle, means are provided, such as solenoid 52, to be energized, to restore the motor bar to its normal position. It is seen, that energization of the solenoid causes the pivoted latch member 5i! to be partially rotated, in a clockwise direction, upon displacement of the solenoid plunger, by means of the link 63, thereby releasing the latched stem El of the motor bar.

During the said rotation of latch member EG, and after the release of the motor bar, a link 64 causes lever 65 to be partially rotated, and in turn, causing rotation of a shaft 66, in a counterclockwise direction. Rotation of shaft 66 effects displacement of an arm El (secured to said shaft), and transverse bail 68, which bail, upon being rocked, thrusts the latch bars 52 forwardly (to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3) releasing any depressed keys 50 which were latched. For a more detailed description of this well known type of keyboard reference may be made to U. S. Patent No. 2,147,626.

Operation of the machina-Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, the operation of the machine will be explained, in conjunction with the description of the circuit diagram. It is noted, that the individual contacts A, of each order of keys 5c, are connected by common conductors I9 to individually insulated conducting segments l! of the emitter E. These conducting segments are traversed, successively, by the rotary brushes 49. The bank of contacts, of each order. are also connected to the related common conductor l2. which, in turn, are connected to the individual punch magnets, by suitable plug connectors 13.

Assume now, that statistical cards are properly positioned in the supply hopper, that the main switch 'N is closed to energize the motor 23, and that the operator depressed the keys Eil, in accordance with the data desired `to be perforated,

in one of the statisticalv cards. Upon closurel of the switch 14, a circuit isI completed to relay RI through the contacts MC which are closedgwhen cards are placed in the supply hopper. Now, upon depression of the motor bar, vto close and latch the contacts 54, a circuit is completed from conductor 'l5 to normally closed contacts R30, the card feed clutch magnet PCM, contacts Ria of relay RI, and contacts 54 to conductor 16, energizing said magnet. Energization of the said clutch magnet causes a card to be fed, from the bottom of the hopper up to the die member, at the punching station, during the rst cycle of the machine. Upon feeding the rst card to the die member, the contacts DC are closed. Since the contacts R31: and 5d remain closed during` the entire rst cycle oi the machine, the clutch magnet PCM is still, energized, at the end of the first cycle, to initiate another'cycle of operation of the machine, thereby feeding the rst card, step by step, past the punching station, duringthe second cycle, and feeding the second card up to the die member, or punching station.

Upon closure of contacts P2, at the beginning of the second cycle, relay R2 is energized, by a circuit which can be traced from conductor 15 to coil of relay R2, contacts DC, and cam contacts P2 to conductor 16. A holding circuit is established for this relay, through contacts R2a and cam contacts P5, to maintain relay R2 energized, during the major portion of the second cycle (contacts P5 open, near the end of each cycle).

Closure of contacts RZC connects the common conducting ring of the emitter E to the contacts CC which are closed, at the times the index point positions, of each card, are presented to the punching station, by cam element 45a (see Fig. 8). The brushes 49 are also operated, in timed relationship, with the feeding of the index point positions of the cards past the punching station, so that individual circuits can be completed, at differential times, in the punching cycle,` to the punch magnets PM. Assuming now, that the 5 contacts A are one of the contacts closed, by the depressed keys 50, a circuit is completed, at the 5 cycle point, from conductor 15, one of the punch magnets PM, plug connector 13, conductor 12, the 5 contacts A, the related common conductor 10 and conducting segment ll of the emitter E, brushes 49 of the said emitter, contacts R20, and contacts CC to conductor 16, energizing the said punch magnet, at the 5 cycle point of the machine. In this manner, a perforation, having a predeter mined configuration signifying a particular column, is formed at the 5 index point position, in the related column, of the statistical card. Other circuits are completed to the remaining punch magnets, in a similar fashion, at different times in the cycle, depending upon which keys are depressed to close the associated contacts A.

Closure of contacts R212 permit a circuit to be completed to the coil of relay R3, when the cam contacts P3 close at approximately the 5 cycle point, energizing said relay. A holding circuit for said relay R3 is established through the contacts R30. and cam contacts P4, which holding circuit is maintained for practically the remainder of the cycle.

Due to the closure of contacts R31), and upon closure of cam contacts PI, near the end of each cycle, a circuit is completed to the release magnet E2, energizing this magnet, and causing the depressed keys 5U and motor bar 68 to be released, in turn, causing all of the closed contacts A, and the closed motor bar contacts 54, respectively, to be opened. Opening of contacts R30 and 54, thus, prevent the clutch magnet PCM from being energized, at the end of the second cycle. Under these conditions, the described picker mechanism and feed rolls become latched, at the end of the second cycle. The machine is now conditioned for further cycles of operation, whereby, the cards are perforated, each cycle, at the different index point positions, in various columns, in accordance with the data set up, each cycle, by the depressed keys and associated contacts, the said perforations of each column having different configurations.

In order to feed the cards from the feed rolls, at the end of a run, to the stacker, an auxiliary key 1T is provided, which key can be depressed to close the contacts 'I8 to cause energization of the clutch magnet PCM, until this operation is completed.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the funda-mental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for perforating statistical cards at different index point positions, in different columns, comprising a plurality of punch elements, one for each column, each of said punch elements having a different configuration at its piercing end, means for feeding the different index point positions, on each card, past the punch elements, step by step, control magnets for rendering the punch elements operative, and means for selectively energizing the control magnets, as each card is fed, step by step, past the punch elements, thereby causing the latter to form perforations, of different congurations, at different index point positions, on the cards.

2. Apparatus for perforating statistical cards at different index point positions, in different columns, comprising a plurality of punching means, one for each column, each of said punching means having means for forming perforations having configurations different from the configurations of the other perforations, means for feeding the different index point positions, on each card, past the punching means, control magnets for rendering the punching means operative, and control means for selectively controlling the energization of the said magnets, as each card is fed past the punching means, thereby causing columns of perforations to be formed, the perforations of each column being of different congurations for representing the columnar designations, and the positioning of the perforations in each of the columns representing the digital values.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein the said control means includes means whereby the control magnets are caused to be energized concurrently, or at differential times, as each card is fed past the punching means.

4. A statistical card perforating apparatus comprising a plurality of rectangularly shaped punches, each of said punches having a predetermined number of spaced saw-teeth elements formed along one of its edges, at its piercing end, the spacings of the said saw-teeth elements being different for each punch, so that a different number of saw-teeth elements are provided on each punch.

ARTHUR H. DICKINSON. 

